VESTAL, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – For the fifth year in a row, a local student has been awarded a state scholarship from Italian American legislators.

On Friday, Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo visited Vestal High School to present senior, Caden DellaPenta with a check for $4,500.

The award is one of four scholarships that the New York Conference of Italian American State Legislators offers annually.
Four students are selected each year, two for academics and two for athletics.

You do not need to be Italian to receive the scholarship, but DellaPenta is.

Senior at Vestal High School, Caden DellaPenta says, “We did, used to go to my grandma’s house all the time for dinner, and that was really fun. We would always have spaghetti and I would grate the cheese, it was really fun. My grandfather would always make his own sauce, and that was really exciting. We kind of keep that alive, every once in a while we make the sauce as well so that’s really exciting and fun.”

DellaPenta was invited to the governor’s mansion in Albany for a luncheon, where he got to meet with the other recipients and state legislators.

DellaPenta will be attending Lehigh University this Fall to study English, with the goal of becoming an English professor.

He is the president of his class, a member of the honor choir and avid volunteer in the community.